Keeping your metabolism high is crucial for losing weight and keeping it off. However, there are a number of lifestyle mistakes people are making such as eating too little calories, not getting enough sleep and sitting down for long periods of time which may slow down your metabolism. These habits could make it hard to lose weight and even make you more prone to gain weight in the future. So here are 8 Easy Ways to Increase Your Metabolism.

6 Easy Ways to Increase Your Metabolism

Load Up on Protein

Eating food can increase your metabolism for a few hours. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). It’s caused by the extra calories required to digest, absorb and process your meals. However, protein causes the largest rise in TEF. It increases your metabolic rate significantly more than carbs and fats. Eating protein has also been shown to help you feel more full and prevent you from overeating.

Keep Sippin on Your Water

Drinking water, in particular coldwater, may also temporarily speed up your metabolism. But why cold water? You may burn more calories by drinking cold water, as your body uses energy to heat it up to body temperature. In addition, water can also help fill you up. So try to get your water in from herbal teas or maybe add some dilute to sweeten it up!

Catch Those Zzzz

Lack of sleep can decrease the number of calories you burn, change the way you process sugar and disrupt your appetite-regulating hormones. A poor nights sleep has also been linked to increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, which are both associated to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Getting a bad nights sleep also been shown to boost the hunger hormone ghrelin and decrease the fullness hormone leptin.

Drink Your Coffee

Drinking coffee can significantly increase your metabolism and help you lose weight. Caffeine is a natural stimulant commonly found in coffee and tea. Per serving, coffee typically contains the highest amount of caffeine of these two beverages. Coffee’s effects on metabolism and fat burning may also contribute to successful weight loss and maintenance. However, we are not talking about calorie-dense caramel lattes here. Try to stick to americanos, espresso and other lower calorie coffees.

Spice Things Up

There is much evidence that suggests certain spices like cinnamon, turmeric and chilli can raise your metabolic resting rate and slow down your appetite. However, the effect is mild, so sprinkling some chilli on your chicken probably isn’t going to make you lose a stone in a week but if you’ve hit a point in your weight loss journey where you are struggling to lose the weight, spicing it up may be just the thing to try.

HIIT

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves quick and very intense bursts of activity. It can help you burn more fat by increasing your metabolic rate, even after your workout has finished. This effect is believed to be greater for HIIT than for other types of exercise such as jogging or walking. What’s more, HIIT has also been shown to help you burn fat! So if you’re dreading that jog you had planned, forget about it and opt for a 20 min HIIT session instead.